SLT Meeting Minutes, Sept./Oct. 2020

Meeting called to order @ 7:00 pm, Oct. 15

Housekeeping 

▪ Meeting conducted via Google Meet due to COVID-19 

New Business 

1. SLT Elections 

o 2 parent terms are up (Lauren and David); 4 teacher terms are up 

o Per guidelines for PTA, 10/30 PTA meeting will include PTA elections and then SLT elections
o Teachers will vote 11/2 

2. SLT positions – New SLT Chair(s) and Secretary to be chosen after the new SLT members are elected, in November  meeting 

3. SLT calendar 

o Today’s meeting is a fill-in for September, since the many changes to the start of the school year made it  difficult to schedule a meeting 

o Will hold regular October meeting on Wed. 10/28 @7pm 

o Table discussion on future meeting dates until November when the new SLT is in place

4. How do we make SLT meetings more accessible to school community? 

o Question raised as to how the general parent community can access the SLT in a virtual format since  technically in the past in-person meetings are open to the public as guests 

o Pointed out that minutes are an important access point, as they are posted on inclusions
o General consensus that if meetings are open to public, it remains as guests. Any outside individuals who are  in attendance are expected to listen and observe only.  
o Parents wishing to speak are welcome to do so after vetting agenda topics formally and in advance with the  Chairperson(s) 
o Possibly create an email address strictly to receive thoughts, concerns, and potential agenda items from  parents (to be monitored by Chairperson(s)) 
o As in the past, the dates and times of all meetings will be posted on Inclusions and shared via Konstella
o Potentially link the Google Meet info – tech options being explored to allow guests but limit their ability to  speak 
o Reiterated that meetings can and should be made public, but they are not office hours or a means for  parents or teachers to raise personal issues/situations 

5. Response to COVID 

o 1 positive test in the school community this year (to date) 
o DOE guidelines have been followed – classroom quarantined, contact tracing being performed, parents  informed via email/Konstella, follow-up with phone calls to families potentially impacted 
o Not required to notify Cohort B, but chose to so all parents were informed 
o Tracing logs for every classroom 
o Tracing unit determines who needs to be contacted further 

6. Staff Shortage 

o Rosa working with DOE to add teaching staff 
o Debbie raised concern over potential shortage with classroom vacancies specifically for the blended  students on their remote days – filed operational complaint with UFT
o Out of Rosa’s hands; out of Superintendent’s hands 
o Assurance that there is no concern over balancing of GE/SE support 
o But, potentially out of compliance with IEPs 
o Teachers going above and beyond to ensure all students in school and at home are receiving live instruction,  across all cohorts and grades – potential concern for SPED compliance? 
o Some autonomy for each teaching team and grade – based on teacher wants and needs
o DOE, UFT, CSA constantly changing guidelines for blended learning 

Next meeting: Wed. 10/28 @ 7pm via Google Meet